Golden Anniversary Ale

I went to the package store last night and had about $4 worth of can/bottle deposits in my hand. I figured I'd look around and see "what $4 could get me" 1 bottle, 1 six pack, growler deposit... I was curious as to how far or (not very far) less than $5 would last.

I saw "Golden Anniversary Ale" it was $3.65 for a six pack. I had seen it briefly once before and thought "cheap beer" and walked past by. But since I had an hour to kill I figured I would investigate this beer. Looking at the cans it says it won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival - the same one we've come to respect the opinions on.

Is this true? Now obviously it didn't win in the Barleywine category, but if it won a light american lager...do we look at these "cheap beers" as cheap because they aren't produced by the same companies that produce micros.

For instance if Dog Fish Head pumped out an American Light Lager (they may have, I don't know - not a huge DFH fan) I'm sure their fan base would enjoy the beer, say its good and move on - it might not be their go to beer, but in the summer they would enjoy it.... Take the same beer put it in a can/bottle with the words "Golden anniversary ale" on it and charge far less, we'll look at it as crappy beer and move on.

So I guess the issue I've come to is, are we all snobs in the beer world and that brand/name really does change our perception or does the GABF have really bad judges....I have no problem buying "No-Ad Sunscreen" (they don't advertise at all and so they can give quality product at a fraction of the cost)

I've never tried this beer yet, but I did buy the 6 pack with the deposits to do a blind taste taste with some Narragansett (local light lager), Bud, and what ever we can get our hands in the light lager/light ale category.

Any thoughts?

Did you see who makes it? I don't see it on the list. Perhaps that's another name for Coor's Banquet, which won the Gold in the America Style Lager. Totally Naked, a New Glarus product (generally thought of as an outstanding craft brewery here in WI) finished third.

Milwaukee's Best, aka "The Beast", also won a Gold in the American-Style Cream Ale or Lager category. That's even more of a shocker.

It said "Koch's" and then something about "Jim Koch" either jim kock brewing or something.

From what I gathered, on the web today, it may be contract brewed...but that really means nothing other as far as taste....just business logistics.

I found this on some website - http://www.history.rochester.edu/class/beer/genny.htm not sure how acccurate, but it looks like its from a school or university...

Genesee also markets beer under the Shea's Brewery, Dundee's Brewery, and Fred Koch Brewery names. Shea's Brewery brews Michael Shea's Irish Amber, Michael Shea's Black & Tan, and Michael Shea's Blonde Lager. Dundee's Brewery markets one brew called JW Dundee's Honey Brown Lager. The Fred Koch Brewery markets Golden Anniversary Beer, Golden Anniversary Light Beer, and Golden Anniversary Ice Beer.

Probably was an independent brewery, got bought out and thats about it. I know dundee had a major re-vamping of their line (logos and adding different beers etc) so its probably they buy the brand and thats about it.

Wow that takes me back to college. I went to college in a small town in upstate NY. There were 3 bars in the town and they were all very competitive on price to lure in all the poor college kids. To keep the prices low all the bars served Milwaukee's Best. They offered long neck bar bottles of the beast for 1.00 each. Then one of the bars starting offering 1.00 pitchers. But they could not serve the beast at 1.00 per pitcher and turn a profit, so they went to something cheaper then the beast. Yep that beer was Golden Anniversary. And I think it's a lager not an ale.

When your in college 1.00 pitchers are freaking awesome.

That's outstanding. I graduated UW-Milwaukee in 1988. I lived in the dorms my junior year and we had a nightclub located right in the central dorm hub between the towers (The Cabaret a/k/a "The Cab") that served $2 pitchers of Miller High Life on Saturdays. You could get blasted for a few bucks and stumble back to your room, never having to actually step outdoors.

joety said:

$2 pitchers of Miller High Life on Saturdays.

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Think about that but half the price and any day of the week, not just Saturdays. I think this was in 1992. I can only imagine what it's like up there today.

I used to drink this in WNY. As far as aawards are concerned, there's a catgeory for everything, and not every beer in the country enters. Bud Light wins over Coors Light and Miller lite...that's the way it goes.

Golden Anny was a beer brewed in Dunkirk NY. I think it was in the 80's, Genesee bought out the recipe and was then brewed in Rochester, NY. Unfortunately last year when Genesee changed hands they discontinued this beer. Only people like myself who stocked up on it still have some. Every local bar in the Dunkirk/Fredonia area had it on tap. You couldn't beat the price or in my opinion the taste.

I make many homebrew beers, and I have been looking for the recipe for Koch's Golden Anniversary. If anyone has any ideas, please comment.

Haha! You bring back memories.

Yes, Golden Anniversary (I believe, too, is a lager)...was like $8 and change for a case of "gold" cans back in college!

I think they even had GA Lite in "silver" cans...can you imagine!

I chugged and purged way too many of those things back in the day!

Ha!

Maida - sounds like a bar in Herkimer, I forget the name though. My room mate was from Rochester so we had plenty of Genny Light around. Never tried Golden Anny though.

Talk about memories! I was doing a search for one of my first favorite beers and this is the only thing I found (granted I didnt get too far into my search)!

A little over a year ago (nice bump ) someone mentioned Micheal Shae's Blonde in this thread. That was mine and my friend's favorite beer (when we decided to splurge over Busch Light). That was back in '95 I think. We were really disappointed when they discontinued it in '96 or '97. That was around the time I got my Mr. Beer kit and brewed some crazy abomination that still lives on in legend to this day.

I thought it might be a nice idea to find a similar recipe, but unfortunately it has been so long, I don't really remember what it tasted like. Anyone have any memories or recommendations?

I think people can be blinded by craft breweries vs the majors. I'm still a bit perplexed that people put microbrewers on a pedestal, and almost force themselves to like it just because it's expensive. I've had craft brews before that I flat out hate, and I'm pretty content sitting around drinking keystone, bl, ml, cl etc. Don't get me wrong, I'll take a good craft brew over cheapies any day, but I don't discriminate just because it's cheap.

tmurph6 said:

I think people can be blinded by craft breweries vs the majors. I'm still a bit perplexed that people put microbrewers on a pedestal, and almost force themselves to like it just because it's expensive. I've had craft brews before that I flat out hate, and I'm pretty content sitting around drinking keystone, bl, ml, cl etc. Don't get me wrong, I'll take a good craft brew over cheapies any day, but I don't discriminate just because it's cheap.

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That definitely goes on, but I think it's more about being different and unique than a cost thing. Kind of like High School when it wasn't cool to listen to a band anymore because everybody liked them.

For me, aside from my homebrew, there are so many good and different beers out there I have to really like a beer to buy it regularly. In this group, I would put Magic Hat #9, Capital Amber, Three Floyd's Alpha King and Dreadnaught, Capital Amber and Goose Island Honker's Ale. If I'm not drinking one of those I'm playing the field.

I think for the most part it all comes down to how much money a brewery has to market their product. The more time they spend telling the masses how superior their product is the more the masses believe.

Now I'm not saying that Kochs was the best beer ever made, but it was distinctive and I know I will miss it when I visit WNY.

I'm sure I can get close with the grain/corn mixture; but I'm not sure about the hops. It has a very distinct hop bitterness but I don't think its Saaz.

Your thoughts after tasting it would be appreciated.

mikenalepa said:

I think for the most part it all comes down to how much money a brewery has to market their product. The more time they spend telling the masses how superior their product is the more the masses believe.

Now I'm not saying that Kochs was the best beer ever made, but it was distinctive and I know I will miss it when I visit WNY.

I'm sure I can get close with the grain/corn mixture; but I'm not sure about the hops. It has a very distinct hop bitterness but I don't think its Saaz.

Your thoughts after tasting it would be appreciated.

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Can't hurt to ask:

The Genesee Brewing Company write or call: Genesee Brewing Company, Inc. 445 St. Paul Street Rochester, NY 14605 Tel: (716) 546-1030 Fax: (716) 546-5011